Vasculitis

The IL-6 receptor inhibitor tocilizumab may significantly reduce disease activity and the amount of prednisone needed in people with glucocorticoid-dependent active polymyalgia rheumatica, suggest results from a phase 3 trial published in JAMA.

Phase 3 SAPHYR study findings suggest that the IL-6 receptor inhibitor sarilumab with glucocorticoid taper is an efficacious treatment option for patients with steroid-resistant polymyalgia rheumatica.

Women with polymyalgia rheumatica may have a small increase in the risk for mortality relative to the general population, but not during the first 20 years after diagnosis, according to research presented at the EULAR 2022 Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Research from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance has identified a number of factors, including diagnosis and vaccine type, that are associated with flare risk following vaccination among people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

Measuring erythrocyte sedimentation rate, angiopoietin-2/-1 ratio, and matrix metalloprotease-3 levels may help discriminate patients with isolated polymyalgia rheumatica from those with concomitant giant cell arteritis, research suggests.

Findings from the VITAL trial suggest that vitamin D supplementation, with or without omega-3 fatty acids, may warrant further investigation as a strategy to reduce the risk for autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica.

Tocilizumab improves glucocorticoid-free remission rates, time to first relapse, and cumulative glucocorticoid dose versus placebo in people with polymyalgia rheumatica, show phase 2/3 study data presented at the ACR Convergence 2021 virtual meeting.

An analysis of data from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance and EULAR COVID-19 registries suggests high rates of severe COVID-19 among people with primary systemic vasculitis or polymyalgia rheumatica.

Findings from the proof-of-concept BRIDGE-PMR study suggest that rituximab may be beneficial for  the treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica.

Less than half of patients with polymyalgia rheumatica are prescribed medications for osteoporosis, despite clinical guidelines recommending bone protection for those on long-term glucocorticoid treatment, research suggests.

A large US study has evaluated the risk for developing incident rheumatic disease following a positive test for SARS-CoV-2.

Real-world study results suggest that less than a third of patients with giant cell arteritis and/or polymyalgia rheumatica are able to discontinue glucocorticoid treatment for at least 6 months, and a substantial proportion remain on prednisone for at least 2 years.